Fight/Week 8

Fight - Week 8 Synopsis

About Week 8

"Trust" Episodes 43 thru 48 (5/16 Mon thru 5/21 Sat NHK) (7/25 Mon thru 7/30 Sat NGN)

Yuu - Heroine Keita - Yuu's father Ayako - Yuu's mother Dan - Yuu's little brother Kayo - Yuu's grandmother (Ayako's mother) Rika - Yuu's friend Shuuji - Rika's father Murakami-san - Horse stable supervisor Taro - Stable boy Saigo Wareichi - Owner of Jonko Kotoko - Ayako's friend Kodama-san - Kotoko's father Kinuko - Kotoko's mother Okabe - Yuu and Rika's friend Kataoka-sensei - Yuu's homeroom teacher

Episode 43

In order to protect herself, Yuu had hurt Rika. But it weighed on her conscience. She kept blaming herself until she couldn't bring herself to go to school anymore. Seeing Yuu standing at the front gate to the school, her homeroom teacher, Kataoka-sensei, comes out to see what's wrong. Yuu says she isn't feeling well, and asks for her permission to go home.

Yuu immediately walks to the horse stables to see Saigo Jonko. Jonko had become the star of the Gunma Racetracks, and he was set to race in the Chuo Race in Tokyo on Sunday, which was just two days away. The top two finishers of the race will win an entry in the G1 Race. Even the Kodama family in Shima is looking forward to the race. Kodama-san is an avid horse race fan, and has been a Jonko fan ever since he met him during his visit in Takasaki (week 7).

At the Shima Hot Springs, Kotoko is getting ready for her first marriage meeting - set up by her father. However, at the last minute, the potential groom pospones the meeting. Kotoko is somewhat disappointed. Right afterwards, Kotoko receives a phone call from Yuu. She tells Kotoko she didn't go to school. Getting a vibe that something's wrong with Yuu, she invites Yuu to come with her to Tokyo so she can see Jonko race. Yuu accepts the invitation. Kotoko asks her mother, Ayako, for permission, but doesn't tell her Yuu didn't go to school.

Yuu stayed at the stables the whole school day. So she returns to the spring factory at the usual time, with her father, Keita, waiting. She doesn't tell him she didn't go to school. The next day, she arrives at Tokyo with Kotoko. It is her first visit to Kotoko's apartment. During food preparation, Yuu consoles with Kotoko. She tells her Rika is being isolated from the other classmates, and that she can't trust Rika - or anyone else for that matter - because she's afraid of being hurt again. So she's afraid of going back to school.

The next morning, Yuu decides to cut the visit short a day and return to her home in Takasaki because of her guilty conscience of not going to school. Kotoko changes her mind. Visiting Jonko at the racetrack, Taro and Murakami-san notices that Jonko isn't eating his fodder, probably because he was worked up in the trailor on his way to Tokyo. Yuu is about to walk away when Murakami-san calls out to her, telling her Jonko needs her. Taro hands her the fodder. Jonko immediately eats the blades of grass from her hands.

Episode 44

Back at the Shima Hot Springs, the Kodama clan, along with Dan, huddle around the tiny TV set to see Saigo Jonko compete in the Chuo Race. Ayako pops in to bring Dan back home for lunch, but instead sticks around with the rest of them to watch the race, not even knowing who Saigo Jonko is. Kinuko suddenly stands up and sings a song she wrote for the occasion:

The hope of Gunma... Saigo Jonko!
He runs carrying a dream... Saigo Jonko!
Run... Run... Run today... Run toward the future.
Jonko! Jonko! Saigo Jonko!

Kotoko and Yuu at the Chuo Race.

Back at the Tokyo racetrack, Yuu and Kotoko is in attendance to watch the race. The race starts - and Jonko cleanly comes out of the gates. Number 12 takes the lead early on, with Ame Cherry close behind. Jonko is currently in 16th place. Camelot is moving up to the front. Ame Cherry is lining up with the leaders. Jonko comes up from behind... Ame Cherry is in the lead... Jonko is moving up... Ame Cherry is at the head. Jonko is coming up from the outside... Saigo Jonko is closing in on Ame Cherry... It's Ame Cherry and Saigo Jonko... Jonko pulls ahead, takes the lead, and cross the finishing line FIRST!!!!! Everyone's jumping around in celebration! Yuu is amazed at the event that just occured, bursting out in tears.

An authentic RUN JONKO pen.
Photo and pen owner: groink

At Shima Hot Springs, the Kodama clan is still wondering if Saigo-san (he visited the inn before going to the race) is indeed the owner of Saigo Jonko, purely based on name association. Ayako recalls seeing Saigo-san writing with a "RUN JONKO" pen, the same one Dan has in his pencil holder. With the TV coverage still running, Dan sees Yuu, but doesn't say anything (Jonko is a secret between Yuu and Dan, covered in week 4.)

Back at Takasaki, Kayo calls Keita, telling him she saw someone that looked like Yuu at the horse race on TV. The next morning, with Yuu back home, she takes off for school all dressed up in her uniform. But, she doesn't show up for school. Kataoka-sensei calls Keita to ask why Yuu didn't come to school. She also tells him Yuu didn't go to school last Friday. In a panic, he immediately calls Ayako. Brainstorming where Yuu could have run off to, Ayako and Keita put two and two together - Dan's Saigo Jonko pen given by Yuu (week 4), and the possibility that she's at the horse stables seeing Kayo saw her at the race.

At the stables, Yuu consoles with Taro. Taro asks why she can't just go out and tell her father her problems. She says she can't because he'll feel that it's all his fault, and she doesn't want to hurt her dad. Walking out of Taro's room, she sees Keita standing next to Jonko. The both of them rush back home, with Keita asking her repeatedly why she doesn't want to go to school. She repeatedly says she's sorry, to avoid telling him the truth. She rushes upstairs to her room, and has a long cry.

Episode 45

Episode 46

Episode 47

Episode 48

Week 8 Notes

• Please obtain permission from groink before using the synopsis above for other uses.